Truman State University has developed a mechanism for effective training undergraduates to work at the intersection of the life and mathematical sciences, and it uses the pedagogy of undergraduate research. This 'machine' can be appropriated for other interdisciplinary pairings our groupings. Slides are for a talk given for the Missouri State University's Chemistry Seminar on 17 October 2012.

1. A Research-based Model for
Interdisciplinary Training of STEM
Undergraduates
Jason Miller, Ph.D.
Department of Mathematics
Truman State University
Missouri State University
Chemistry Seminar
17 October 2012
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

2. MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

3. Outline
• Introduce Truman State University
• Story of Truman’s research-focused
mathematical biology program
• Truman’s interdisciplinary STEM efforts
degree
• Opportunities for Collaboration
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

4. Truman
Truman is in rural Kirskville, Missouri
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

5. Truman
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

6. About Truman
• Missouri’s only “highly selective” public
liberal arts University; pride in high-quality
teaching, small class size
• ~6000 undergraduates, ~300 faculty, 150
Masters students
• Institutional commitment to Undergraduate
Research and to Interdisciplinary teaching
• EX: all students must take a Junior
Interdisciplinary Seminar
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

7. About Truman
• about 25 biology faculty, 35 mathematics
faculty (math+stats+CS)
• biology: research expected of faculty (with
students); experienced mentors
• mathematics: teaching focus, little or no
support for research activity; 10 new faculty
between 1998-2000
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

8. MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

9. Professional Societies
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

10. 2003
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

11. 2007
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

12. R E P OR T T O T H E PR E SI DEN T
ENGAGE TO E XCEL: PRODUCI NG ONE M ILLION
A DDI T IONA L COLLEGE GR A DUAT ES W I T H
DEGR EES I N SCIENCE , T ECH NOLOGY,
ENGI NEER I NG, A N D M AT HEM AT ICS
Executive Office of the President
President’s Council of Advisors
on Science and Technology
F E BRUA RY 2 01 2
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

13. MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

14. Mathematical Biology
Seminar (since 2003)
• Program fulcrum
• Biweekly meeting of faculty and
undergraduates
• Initially, a “Biology Fashion Show”
• Engineered several cross-disciplinary,
research hook-ups
• Pairings provided us with a foundation for
NSF UBM grant proposals
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

15. MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

16. Mathematical
Life Scientist
Scientist
(faculty)
(faculty)
Mathematical
Life Scientist
Scientist
(trainee)
(trainee)
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

17. Mathematical
Life Scientist
Scientist
(faculty)
(faculty)
Mathematical
Life Scientist
Scientist
(trainee)
(trainee)
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

18. MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

19. Mathematical Mathematical
Life Scientist Life Scientist
Scientist Scientist
(faculty) (faculty)
(faculty) (faculty)
Mathematical Mathematical
Life Scientist Life Scientist
Scientist Scientist
(trainee) (trainee)
(trainee) (trainee)
Mathematical Mathematical
Life Scientist Life Scientist
Scientist Scientist
(faculty) (faculty)
(faculty) (faculty)
Mathematical Mathematical
Life Scientist Life Scientist
Scientist Scientist
(trainee) (trainee)
(trainee) (trainee)
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

20. • selection occurs in the Fall, students start
work in January (year-long)
• weekly meetings during the academic year
• Intense 10-week summer research program
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

21. Summer
Residence Hall
Meals
Small Group Meetings + Mentors
Community
Weekly Discussions/Workshops
Social Events
MathBio Seminar
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

22. Automatic Annotation of Maize Genome
Collaboration between Truman, IA State,
Cornell, Cold Spring Harbor. MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

23. Automatic Annotation of Maize Genome
Collaboration between Truman, IA State,
Cornell, Cold Spring Harbor. MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

24. Geometric Modeling of C.elegan’s 4-cell stage
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

25. Graph Theoretic Modeling of Vascular
Networks
Collaboration between Truman and AT Still
University of Health Sciences. MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

26. Modeling Dispersion of Extinct Saccate Pollen
Collaboration between Truman and the
College of New Jersey. MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

27. Identifying Volant Bats via Echolocation
with Lynn Robbins, MSU Biology
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

28. Habitat Suitability modeling for the Missouri
Bladderpod
Collaboration between Truman and the US
Fish and Wildlife Service. MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

29. Statistical Modeling of Abundance of Beetle
Populations
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

30. Models of Tick Respiration and Physiology
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

31. • A modified Tajima-D statistic for identifying
causes of HIV mutation
• Modeling host-parasite interaction in a long-
term site study
• Geometric modeling of gravitropic
sensitivity in flax roots
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

32. Sustainability
• an expensive program ($25k per team)
• low throughput
• high impact
• wanted to pursue tactics for long-term
sustainability
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

33. Core Courses
• Bioinformatics
• Introduction to Mathematical Biology
• Biostatistics/Biometry
• Introduction to Computational Science*
• Calculus & Math Methods for the Life
Sciences
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

34. Interdisciplinary Minor
• Designed to foster thoughtful integration of
skills and knowledge in mathematics and
biology
• outcome based (electronic portfolio), not
course/credit based
• for majors in biology, mathematics, computer
science, agricultural science
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

35. Minor’s Outcomes
• Data Acquisition
• Modeling
• Computation
• Statistics
• Research
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

36. Requirements
• Demonstrate proficiencies in each category
(though research, courses)
• Earn 15+ credits doing so (must take Intro to
MathBio course)
• Attend MathBio Seminar
• Participate in two half-semester program
workshops/seminars
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

37. Other Courses
• Any that makes a connection between the
areas. Some example:
• Math Modeling
• Ecology • Developmental
Biology
• ODEs
• Genetics of • (Electron)
Microscopy
Animal and Plant
Improvement
Each student makes a case for each course in their
learning plan. MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

38. Accomplishments:
Strong summer research community.
Quality new courses: Bioinformatics, Intro to
MathBio, Biostatistics, Intro to Computational
Science, Calculus & Math Methods for Life Science
Competency-based minor in mathematical biology.
Faculty embrace interdisciplinary approaches to
research.
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

39. MathBio Notes
• Program grew from institutional strengths
and interests, meeting the needs of many
• Creates a learning-centered community for
faculty and students
• Trains students through research; discomfort
is a sign of success
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

40. • Our program was the perfect means for
developing infrastructure and faculty buy-in
• It is an imperfect model for a sustainable
quantitative or mathematical biology
program
• (But it puts us in a very powerful position as
Truman launches it next efforts.)
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

41. More details: Miller, Walston. Interdisciplinary Training in
Mathematical Biology Through Team-based Undergraduate
Research and Courses. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2010 Fall;9(3):284-9.
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

42. STEM Talent Expansion
Programs (STEP) Office
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

43. 2003
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

44. 2007
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

45. R E P OR T T O T H E PR E SI DEN T
ENGAGE TO E XCEL: PRODUCI NG ONE M ILLION
A DDI T IONA L COLLEGE GR A DUAT ES W I T H
DEGR EES I N SCIENCE , T ECH NOLOGY,
ENGI NEER I NG, A N D M AT HEM AT ICS
Executive Office of the President
President’s Council of Advisors
on Science and Technology
F E BRUA RY 2 01 2
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

46. STEM Talent Expansion
• Truman has leveraged training through
undergraduate research for other programs
• NSF STEP
• NSF PRISM
• NSF S-STEM
• with all STEM disciplines, community college
partners
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

47. Degree Production 2002-2007
Degrees US MO
STEM BA/BS +15% -13%
AA -25% -48%
Source: NSF Science and Engineering Indicators, 2012
In Missouri, student starting college at 2-year school
intending to transfer and earn a STEM degree have an
8% chance of succeeding.
Source: CBHE IFC Baseline Report MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

48. MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

49. MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

50. Composition (%) of U.S. college-age cohort: 1990–2020
100
90
80
70
American Indian/Alaska Native
60 Asian/Pacific Islander
50 Black
Hispanic
40
White
30
20
10
0
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
NSF Science and Engineering Indicators 2006, Figure O-37 MSU Chem Seminar
TU-HHMI Conference 2012
17 October 2012

51. Missouri EPSCoR
• Missouri is an EPSCoR State
• NSF funding must not exceed 0.75% of total NSF
funding (criteria, table)
• Missouri’s planning process for a Track I grant lead
by MU’s Bob Duncan ($20m over 5 years)
• This summer, representatives of institutions were
invited to participate in process of creating the
proposal
• scientific with robust workforce development and
training elements MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

52. Missouri EPSCoR
• A proposal was submitted on 3 October.
• “Accelerating Bioscience Discovery:
Learning, Inference, and Modeling”
• data-intensive bioscience
• imaging and environmental sensing
• training and workforce development aspects
are unclear
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

53. Missouri EPSCoR
• Gary Meints and I worked together at the
workshop
• saw an opportunity for Truman and MSU to
collaborate
• interdisciplinary training of undergraduates
in STEM using research experiences
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

54. Opportunities
• Missouri political and financial climate favors
collaborations between Universities
• NSF funding favors partnerships
• 21st century professions are integrative,
interdisciplinary, and team-based
• research on cognitive development
(learning) shows strengths of undergraduate
research
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

55. What can we do in partnership?
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

56. http://mathbio.truman.edu
More details: Miller, Walston. Interdisciplinary Training in
Mathematical Biology Through Team-based Undergraduate
Research and Courses. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2010 Fall;9(3):284-9.
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012

57. http://mathbio.truman.edu
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under NSF
UBM #0337769, #0436348, and #0926737. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or
recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
MSU Chem Seminar
17 October 2012